The White Wolf and the Wizard
by History101
Summary: A.U. What if Michael Scot never wrote the Book or created Toledo? In the present day, the great wizard lives still beneath Tantallon Castle, his loyal students and McTaggart kept alive by his magic. Instead of searching for the Book, they search for people with magical talent and keep them safe from the White Wolf, a stealer of power. Author owns no rights to CBBC characters.
1. Prologue

**The White Wolf and the Wizard**

**Prologue**

* * *

Michael Scot was sat by the large fire burning in his inner sanctum beneath his old, crumbling castle. It was a cold night and he had a thick fur throw draped over him as well as he dozed lightly in his chair.

Nearby, he could hear the ever faithful and patient McTaggart was dusting around the vast number of vials and test tubes that littered his masters' room. Though he had no training in magic he'd learnt the odd spell or two, but it was thanks to Michael's power that he was still alive. The old wizard was keeping his four students alive too, although they could use their power to aid his spells. Occasionally, the strain on his power caught up with him and tonight was one of those nights. It made him feel every one of his years and more besides.

The sounds of clinking glass ceased suddenly as McTaggart took out a phone from his trouser pocket.

"I told you not to bring that infernal contraption down here," Micheal grumbled.

"If ye wanna keep in touch with the real world, this is a much easier way than using your infernal contraption," the servant replied, glaring for a second at his masters' all seeing, magical helmet. "Word from Ailsa, sir, a young boy this time in the Caribbean...the wolf got to him first," the servant said, reading the text with a sigh.

Michael breathed deeply and stared into the flames, "Why do we even bother any more?" the man mumbled, closing his eyes again.

"Because it's the right thing, sir," McTaggart replied, "You could use a holiday, sir, somewhere nice and warm."

"Hmm," Michael scoffed.

"Might do ye some good," the servant frowned, putting his phone away again.

It was left to McTaggart to keep his master in constant communication with his own students without relying on magic which would tire him out unnecessarily, and he did this by using mobile phones. Michael had never shown any interest in mobile phones or television or the Internet, in fact, on occasion, and depending on his mood he'd fought the arrival of certain technologies with every fibre of his being, much to the amusement of his students.

For almost nine centuries, McTaggart had been Michael's only companion, the man's students having left for the far reaches of the globe, on their master's orders, to search for people with magical ability in the hope they'd find them before the White Wolf. Along with his four students and his ever faithful friend McTaggart, he'd been the sole surviving fighter against the Wolf through the long centuries that had passed. All their allies long since dead.

Even after one thousand years the great wizard didn't know nearly enough about his enemy as he'd like. He knew that the White Wolf was a remnant of a long forgotten Druidic clan that had been butchered by the Romans long before he, himself had been born. He knew that it coveted power, it roamed the earth searching for ordinary people who didn't know that they had any power and it stole it from them easily because they couldn't defend themselves.

What he wasn't sure of was whether it was human, or a culmination of several human souls bound by hatred. He wasn't sure why it was still stealing people's magical power even after so many centuries or even how it did so. And this had troubled him for many centuries.

The last person they had rescued from the clutches of the Wolf had died several years ago from a human disease, a disease so strong that even Michael hadn't been able to save her. It was another great regret of his.

Lost in his thoughts, Michael began to fall asleep for the first time in days, when the face of a young child formed in his mind. He saw a young girl running from the White Wolf through the remnants of his castle above. He saw this girl use magic to defend herself and he heard a clock strike the eleventh hour, just as the wolf pounced at the girl and then the vision vanished.

"They're coming," Michael said suddenly, his eyes snapping open and his breathing heavy.

"Who is?" McTaggart frowned.

"A girl, a child with strong magic," the old wizard answered, his breathing calming slowly.

"A child? You're sure?"

"I'm sure," the man nodded, "...She's the one."

"The one, what...oh no, no you can't mean...not a wee lassie..." McTaggart exclaimed.

"She was fighting the Wolf...fighting and losing..."

"...Then...what...what does it mean?"

"It means I have to find her first," the wizard said, suddenly awake and alert. He threw off the blanket and stood up from his chair, walking towards the magical helmet resting on its engraved stones.

"No, master!" McTaggart jumped, running towards the wizard, "Don't use that thing...let...let us try and find this lassie..."

"That'll take time, time we can't afford to waste," Michael replied, taking up the helmet, "Give me the eyes," he ordered the magic, "Show me the girl..."

McTaggart could only watch with a heavy heart as his master invoked the magic of the helmet, seeing and hearing things that he couldn't.

* * *

Michael could hear the howling of the wolf as his eyes scanned the coastlines, searching for this girl whose name he didn't even know.

Eventually, he came across a home where the same girl he'd seen in his vision, was staring down with an almost mournful expression at a birthday cake with eleven candles. A man, most likely the girl's father, gave her a smile and she weakly returned the sentiment before blowing out the candles.

She had long blonde hair and the same face he'd seen in his vision, this was definitely the girl that the great wizard had seen. He was sure of it. And though she didn't look like much, he was sure that his vision hadn't been for nothing.

Michael was proved correct when, just outside the house, standing in the dark street, was the White Wolf. "You shall not have her," he growled at the animal and it snarled low and menacingly in reply.

The old wizard removed the helmet with a frantic expression, "It knows..." Michael said, his voice quiet and haggard, "The child is in danger."

McTaggart, who had of course heard what his master had said to the Wolf, watched as Michael retrieved his dark cloak and staff before vanishing into thin air. The man was used to watching his master disappear and even after a thousand years, he still didn't appreciate being left behind like a forgotten child.

* * *

At the same time as McTaggart was grumbling to himself, Michael Scot appeared in the shadows of Marnie McBride's house. Like a wraith he moved across the cobbled street looking for the White Wolf, and he didn't have to look for long. He heard a deep growling on the other side of the street so he turned slowly to face it.

The cruel, golden eyes of the Wolf met his own and the two great powers stared at each other with looks fuelled by a deep hatred.

"Begone," Michael hissed as the animal continued to growl at him. He raised his staff and send a bolt of golden lightning towards his enemy which the Wolf countered with an almost black shock of power.

The two collided with a great burst of energy and they circled each other as small sparks escaped in all directions from their centre.

Michael could feel the struggle his own power was having just to hold off the dark magic bombarding him and with a cry of determination, he let loose a bright light which threw the Wolf across the street. It yelped as it landed on the cobbles and shook its head as it got back on its feet.

With one final snarl, it disappeared into dark smoke and Michael was alone in the darkness again. He looked up at the window to the girls' bedroom and saw that the light was being turned off for the night, "Sleep well, child," he murmured quietly, walking away.


	2. Chapter 1

**The White Wolf and the Wizard**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Michael Scot rummaged through the boxes, cupboards and shelves in his Inner Sanctum. He'd searched almost the entire room and still not found what he was looking for, but it was hardly surprising. No matter how a person chose to live, one tended to accumulate many things over time.

"I really wish you'd stop," McTaggart sighed, pacing up and down, "I only just finished cleaning up..."

The wizard ignored the man's comments though and he continued to search though his possession. "Aha!" he exclaimed after a minute.

"Aha?" his servant repeated, "Does that mean you're gonna stop now?"

"Aye, McTaggart," Michael sighed, "You can stop pacing now," he said, standing up slowly, his bones protesting.

"Aye, very good, sir," McTaggart frowned, watching his master don his cloak, "You're, erm, you're off now then, are ye?"

"Yes, I am," the wizard said, vanishing on the spot again.

"...Aye...aye..." the man sighed, eyeing the now messy room around him.

* * *

Marnie followed her father through the streets of Edinburgh, they seen a film and eaten, and now they walked through a side alley to avoid roadworks when Ross McBride's eyes lit up when they came across an old looking antique shop, nestled in the back street.

"Mind if I take a look, Marnie?" her father asked, "Oh, come on...you never know, I might find a first edition," he smiled, walking off towards the small shop.

Marnie reluctantly followed her father with an indulgent smile, and she was less and impressed at the piles and piles of furniture, books and odd ends inside the dark building. Everything was covered in layers of dust - the bookshelves, the boxes, the silverware, the hanging paintings and pinned up postcards, everything that she could make out in the dark, confined space, and even the till looked ancient.

A quiet noise caught Marnie and her father's attention and they both looked across to see a man standing by the archaic silver till. His clothes just just as old as everything else in the room but he gave a large smile and walked over to them.

"A scholar, a book lover, like myself," the man smiled, for some reason he closed and locked the door behind them. "Just in time," he remarked, consulting a pocket watch, "Just in time...For you, sir, a rare first edition," he added, pointing out a shelf of books.

"Well...yes..." Ross McBride nodded sheepishly.

"And for you, young lady, whatever takes your fancy," he gestured out to the room.

Marnie moved slowly past the piles of bric-a-brac and spared a glance at a stuffed dog in a bird cage which of course, she thought was a little odd, until her eyes landed on a large clock face. It was faded and dusty with no numbers to speak of, instead it had four large, unusual symbols she'd never seen before. Underneath the clock was a small box, it was equally faded and battered but nevertheless Marnie walked across to it.

"Go on, it won't bite," the man whispered from behind her.

Not knowing why she did so, Marnie spared a glance back at the man before walking over, picking up the box and lifting the lid. Inside lay a small necklace with a beaded chain and a single charm in the middle - it was about three times the size of a coin with an ornate 'S' symbol carved on it. She picked it up and examined it as best as she could in the dim light and just as she did so the strange clock suddenly chimed the eleventh hour.

Marnie looked up at the clock for a split second and then back down at the necklace in her hand which started to emit a beautiful golden light. She furrowed her brow in confusion and breathed heavily as the man behind her began to speak.

"Sometimes, things are not what they seem...strange things will happen, but know that they're real..." he said walking over to her. He then looked up at the clock with a surprised expression, "It hasn't struck for eleven centuries...how peculiar..." he remarked.

"Marnie, it's time to go, let's go home,"

"Home, yes, you must take it home," the man nodded, "...Take it home and keep it with you. Wear it and don't take it off," he added in a quiet whisper that only Marnie could hear.

"What's that?" Ross asked.

"Well, Marnie?" the strange man asked.

"It's just a stupid necklace," the girl replied, shaking her head as the man gave a small smile as followed her out as she and her father left the shop.

"Well, how much is it?" Ross asked.

"Nothing, nada, rien," the man answered, locking the door, "Consider it a gift...after all, it is the young lady's birthday," he smiled before walking off.

"...How did he know it was your birthday?" Ross asked with a frown soon after the man had gone.

* * *

Michael watched from on high as Marnie and her father walked down the street, the girl still holding the box and he smiled, satisfied. He knew that if Marnie really was the One, the One to help him to defeat the Wolf once and for all, then she needed to prove it to him.

He knew that this was the daughter of the woman he had failed to save and he vowed not to allow anything to harm this girl. However, he hadn't expected to be lead to an eleven year old girl and he had no idea how to deal with this. Michael couldn't make exceptions, he would treat her as any other potential student. First he would test her, and then see just how much power she really had.

* * *

As Marnie sat in bed that night, slowly going over the necklace in her hand she half expected it to start glowing again, but maybe she'd only imagined it.

"Hey, birthday girl," her father smiled, entering the room, "Guess that's it for another year."

"Hmmm," Marnie nodded slowly, looking at her mother's photograph.

"It's hard I know," her father remarked sadly, putting down the jewellery on the nightstand.

"I miss mom," she cried and Ross could only hold his daughter as she cried silently against him. After a minute he looked down at the piece of jewellery Marnie held in her hand.

"'S a nice piece," he said, "Can I have a look?" he asked and his daughter held out the necklace to him. "...Could be a coat of arms," her father answered, hoping to intrigue her, "Looks pretty old...we could try and find out if you like."

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Come on, it's time for bed," her father breathed, setting aside the necklace on the bed side table and pulling the quilt over his daughter. "Night, Marnie," he smiled.

"Night, dad," Marnie replied as her father turned off the light.

What she didn't see, when her father was gone and once she was tucker under her quilt was that the dusty golden symbol shone once more in the darkness.

And, later that night, Marnie began to dream.

She saw a large, imposing, crumbling castle on a cliff overlooking the turbulent sea and she saw a figure in a dark cloak with a cowl holding a tall, silver topped, black staff. The sky was dark but flashes of lightning illuminated the gold runes on the cloak of the person stood not far from her.

With this person, stood five other people all in long cloaks and hoods so she couldn't see their faces, but she could see that they were standing directly opposite a large, white wolf. It was growling and snarling at them and Marnie took a step back, moving away from the mysterious people. And the dangerous looking animal.

But, as she moved, her feet shuffled against the grass, and the wood heard this quiet movement. It turned its head to stare at her and it stared to move towards her. Marnie could feel her blood run cold and she could hear her loud heart beat in her ears.

The wolf was getting closer and closer and just as she was about to run, she saw a bright light and looked down to see the necklace, somehow in her right hand. As she lifted her hand up, the light increased and the wolf stopped in its tracks. It growled even more ferociously but then, surprise her, it jumped at her.

* * *

Marnie sat bolt upright in her bed breathing hard, unable to get the image of those cold, golden eyes and sharp white teeth from her mind. It was a terrible sight to see the lights in the animals' eyes right before it had pounced at her and she couldn't understand what had brought on such a dream.

Shaking her head, she got out of bed, got dressed, and picked up the box on her nightstand. She went down into the kitchen, where she sat, carefully wiping off the dirt and dust from the beads and the charm of the necklace. Once it was clean, she put it down and absentmindedly flicked through the channels on the television, but ended up turning it off.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, jumping off her seat and hiding under the counter. The necklace had suddenly started emitting the same yellow light as she'd seen it do in the antique shop, only much more bright now, like in her dream.

Very slowly, she stood up and eyed the glowing jewellery with a wary expression. "Okay...okay..." she breathed quietly, reaching out a cautious hand. "Batteries...it must have batteries," Marnie said to herself, turning the necklace over and over in search of tiny screws but she found none.

It was a solid piece of metal with no battery source whatsoever. "Alright..." she murmured, "You're going back to where you came from," she said finally, shutting the jewellery back into its box.

She walked quickly, almost running to the back street shop but when she saw it, she frowned in confusion. It was boarded up and showed no signs of having been used in many a year. Marnie walked up the steps and pounded her fist against the wood blocking the door but nothing happened. With a sigh, she turned back and saw a man walking down the street so she met his eyes

"Erm...excuse me, d'you know what happened to the junk thing that was here?" she asked but the man only shrugged and walked on.

As Marnie sighed heavily and walked off, Michael watched her with a smile and then, he vanished from sight in a flash of light and smoke.

* * *

As the sky darkened, the White Wolf hid in the woods, it was hiding from Michael Scot and planning its next move.

* * *

With the box back on her nightstand again, Marnie looked down at the papers she was meant to be filling in, and back up at her computer screen. She'd made a start on looking at local castles in the hope that she'd see the one that had been in her dream. She knew it was unlikely since it had only been a dream, but it had seemed so real and she couldn't help but keep looking when her father walked into her room.

"Have you finished that?" Ross asked his daughter, "It's not punishment, sweet heart," he sighed when she shook her head, "It's supposed to help you. The school needs to know what stage you're at so they can fit you in with the new curriculum."

"I know," Marnie mumbled, looking back at the paper.

"Are you looking forward to it?"

"...I guess," she shrugged.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," her father smiled, "It might not be that bad."

"...Yeah..." Marnie nodded.

"What's this?" he asked, looking at the computer screen.

"Erm...castles..." she said, "I...erm...I was just looking..."

"Taking an interest in ancient architecture?"

"Yeah...I just..." Marnie mumbled, "Is there any nearby?"

"Actually, yes, there's the ruins of Tantallon, it's quite famous. Walter Scott wrote a poem about it. He said, erm...'Broad, massive, high, and stretching far. And held impregnable in war,' if I remember it right."

"Tantallon..." Marnie repeated, trying it into the computer, "...That's it!" she smiled.

"What?" her father raised an eyebrow, "...We've got lots of books about castles at the library..."

"What about Tantallon?"

"Yes...I think we've a book in the library about Tantallon...somewhere, I think..." her father furrowed his brow. "Why the sudden interest in a ruin?"

"...Oh...nothing..." the girl gave a nervous smile, "Nothing...anyway...I'll get this finished now," she said, lifting up the paper.

"...Right..." Ross nodded, somewhat confused, "Alright," he said, leaving the room.

Marnie stared back at the image of Tantallon castle and read the brief summary of its history, including its most noted owner.


	3. Chapter 2

**The White Wolf and the Wizard**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

A young woman stood before her master, Michael Scot, deep beneath Tantallon's ruins. She had long red hair, pale skin and was dressed, unlike her master, in modern clothes, dark jeans and cotton shirt.

"Ailsa," Michael greeted his student. It had been many years since he'd last seen any of his students, and Ailsa did look happy to see him, "I have a job for you."

"What is it?" the lady asked.

"You are going to back to school," her master answered.

"...I...I beg your pardon, master?" she blinked.

"You'll need this," the man said without elaborating, as he tossed a small ring to her.

"...An illusion charm?" Ailsa blinked down at the small, silver ring. It had the castle's elaborate 'S' on it.

"Should be good enough."

"I don't doubt it."

"You better get going then," he sighed, "The girl, Marnie, is in danger. If anything happens to her..."

"I understand, master," she nodded, and vanished from sight.

* * *

After a slow start to the morning, Marnie soon found herself walking through the school gates alone and very much lost.

"Erm...can you tell me where the..." she began but h boy's walked straight past her as though she'd never even spoken. With a frown she continued to move slowly through the corridor only to be literally pushed aside by two girls much taller than her. Then, a girl pushing a book cart knocked against her back and she spun around. "Hey, watch where you're going," she exclaimed.

"Sorry, didn't mean to," the other girl replied, "Aways get the one with the wonky wheels...you new, right?"

"Is it that obvious?" Marnie assigned and the girl nodded slowly.

"And you better hide that necklace," the girl said, "No jewellery," she explained.

"Thanks...hey...can you tell me where...Mrs McKay's class is..." she asked, looking down at her timetable.

After correcting her pronunciation the other girl said, "That my class...just follow your leader..."

A minute later, the woman herself met them not far away from the classroom, and after she showed Marnie where her locker was, she lead the young girl into the room. "Alright everyone," she called out over the noisy students, "Quieten down. Now I'd like you all to welcome Marnie McBride. Now, Marnie, you'll be pleased to know, you're not the only new student here today, we've also got Ailsa Hughes," she turned to smile at the other girl.

Ailsa, now using the illusion cast on the silver ring on her right index finger, was now about Marnie's height, but she still had her long red hair and she wore the same school uniform as all the other girls.

"Alright, girls, take a seat," Mrs McKay told them.

Marnie and Ailsa's seats were next to each other, and as Marnie sat down, she noticed the ring on the girl's finger. She distinctly remembered being told that there was no jewellery allowed, but maybe it just hadn't been noticed yet.

"Hey...that ring..." she began quickly.

"What about it?" the girl asked with a clear Scottish accent.

"...Erm...I..."

"Right," their teacher began, effectively ending their conversation, "We're just about to watch a slide show..."

* * *

At the end of the school day, Mrs McKay passed around a piece of paper for each student, "Don't forget to bring these forms back signed by your parents. Now the only condition is, it must be in or around Edinburgh, and before you say anything, Stuart, it must be of historical or scientific interest," she frowned, "Yes, Marnie?"

"I'd like to go to Tantallon castle," the young girl ventured.

"Yes," the woman smiled, "Why don't we take a vote on it?"

"For heavens sake, lassie," Marnie suddenly heard a deep voice say. She looked around to see in anyone else could hear it, but it was unlikely. Her necklace was glowing again and she did her best to hide to away discretely. "Tell them about the headless ghosts..." the voice said.

"What headless ghosts?" Marnie asked, unaware that Ailsa was watching her closely.

"Any old headless ghosts, use your imagination..."

"You alright, Marnie?" the teacher asked, looking across the room at the girl's suddenly vacant expression.

"Yeah...erm...I just remembered...about the headless ghosts...the ones who haunt the castle dungeons. The terrible twins who were caught stealing the king's gingerbread and were cruelly beheaded for it...back home..." she continued, staring across a few tables away, "We used to go on ghost hunts all the time. I guess you Scots are just too chicken..."

"You wanna bet?" Stuart scowled.

"We are voting, not betting. All in favour of Tantallon, raise your hand," and to Marnie's delight, everyone agreed.

* * *

"Tantallon castle?" Ross questioned later that evening, looking over the form as they ate a late meal.

"...Yeah..." Marnie nodded.

"Then it's lucky you've taken an interest in castles, isn't it?" her father smiled.

"Yeah," she nodded again.

"Oh, by the way, I asked about that symbol on your necklace...a student at the library thinks it'll be the crest of Michael Scot."

"Michael Scot...as in...the guy who lived at Tantallon..."

"Yes," Ross smiled, "How'd you know?"

"It, erm, it said on the net," Marnie answered sheepishly.

"Anyway, if you like I'll take you to the library on Saturday and we can try and find that book."

"Cool," Marnie smiled.

* * *

The next morning, while Marnie was at school getting to know Ailsa and her other class mates, Michael was walking the streets of Edinburgh, alone with his thoughts.

It seemed that hours had passed when found himself outside the school, alone in a secluded area when he finally felt the dark presence of the Wolf sneaking behind him.

"The girl is under my protection," he warned the animal.

"Grrrrrrrr..." the Wolf replied.

"You shan't harm her," the wizard added while the animal rounded on him.

A burst of dark energy shot from from its mouth straight at the old wizard who raised his hand to attack with his own, light magic. Now though, it seemed that the Wolf was stronger and it was able to push the wizard back, the dark power slowly creeping onto his hand and down his arm.

He quickly called forth his staff and it appeared in his left hand whilst his right was locked in combat. Now, using his hand and his staff to attack he was slowly able to push back and the Wolf was sent flying into a nearby bush. Wen Michael walked over to it, there wasn't a sign of the animal ever having been there.

* * *

Saturday morning found Ross McBride slowly taking in the tall book shelves of the library with his daughter following behind him.

"I thought you knew this library like the back of your hand," Marnie smiled.

"I do, I do, it's just...60,000 books is a lot of books...it's easy to...miss one or two..." her father admitted, walking off.

Marnie moved slowly after him, but he seemed to vanish past one of the bookshelves, "Dad?" she called out, turning back around. Of course, with her back turned, she now missed the figure standing on the mezzanine behind her as she walked away.

"Here," her father said soon after from atop the mezzanine, "Tantallon...specifically, Michael Scot..." he explained, gently tossing a small, red book for his daughter to catch. "As I say...it's heavy going..." he smiled.

Marnie sat down at one of the wooden desks and turned the first page of the book with a heavy sigh.

"That's not what you're looking for," a strangely familiar voice told her a second later.

"What..." Marnie frowned, looking up from the book. She saw a man sat on a chair on the other side of the desk, he wore a faded suit and he looked very familiar.

"You're on the right track though, there's an interesting map on page eleven. They say that some maps are guides for the feet...others for the imagination," the man said and Marnie now believed she remembered where she's seen him last.

"Hey...you're that guy from the junk shop, right?" she asked.

"Use the map. Use your imagination...page eleven..." he replied and she looked down at the book and flicked forwards a few pages.

The map she saw there wasn't like any map she'd ever seen before, and when she looked up again, the man was gone. There hadn't been any sound to indicate that he'd left, or even that he'd arrived.

"Let's go," her father suddenly spoke, walking over to her.

"W...I'm not finished..." she protested, raising the book slightly.

"Bring it with you."

"Hey, dad," Marnie began, standing up, "Was there another guy in here? A guy in an old suit?"

"No, I didn't see anyone," the man answered, leading his daughter out the building.

* * *

Almost every night since she'd arrived in Scotland, Marnie had been cursed with strange dreams of the robed figure holding a staff, standing outside the ruins of, what she now knew, was Tantallon castle. She had no idea why she was seeing that castle; she'd never heard of it before, nor had she heard about Michael Scot.

After reading the small red book from cover to cover, she learnt that he was an alchemist, then she'd had to look up what that was, and then she'd learnt just how important, and intelligent this man had been. She wondered if it was him she'd been seeing in her dream, but she had no way of knowing. There was no ancient photograph of Michael Scot for her to consult, after all, but she was hoping for answers - somehow, when she and her class were to visit Tantallon in the following week.

* * *

The day of her school trip, Marnie eagerly made sure that she took a copy of the map of the castle, and a small torch. She wasn't usually one for sneaking away from teachers and breaking the rules, but what other choice did she have? She was only eleven and she had no way of getting to the castle by herself.

For the duration of the coach trip there, Marnie was talking to Ailsa and another girl. The chaos began when everyone started pushing and shoving to get off the coach first.

It was almost surreal to Marnie, seeing the castle she'd seen in so many of her dreams, standing right in front of her, and the only problem now, was how to get away from the group so that no one noticed her leaving. She hardly noticed her teacher speaking as she took in their surroundings and moved closer to the ruins.

As they moved through the, still impressive castle, under large archways and over the old cobbled floor, their guide told the, about the history of the old place, and came to a stop at a large stone well.

"We've got headless ghosts for your amusement too..." the man said, and Marnie stopped in her tracks. How could this man know about something she'd made up only days ago because of a voice she'd heard in her head? How was that possible? "Two hungry peasant boys, who were caught stealing the king's gingerbread..." the man continued.

As strange as that was to Marnie, she noticed that everyone's back was turned to her, no one would notice is she snuck away. It was probably the best chance she'd get. So, she quickly walked away and soon, she was out of sight behind the tall, ruined walls. She took out the map from her pocket and followed it as best she could.

The old, narrow, dark corridors that lead underground to the even darker tunnels the seemed to go on forever. She followed the map, taking her time and trying her best not to get lost when she came across a dead end. Marnie had made sure to follow the map exactly and with a frown she stood staring at the stone wall blocking her way. It appeared to be part of the architecture and looked as though it had been there just as long as the rest of the stone. It was cracked, dusty and miss covered like everything else, but it wasn't on her map.

Marnie shone the torch down on the map again and furrowed her brow. She walked up to the wall and rested her hands against it, as though trying to push it away.

A minute later she looked back and saw someone standing there, at first she feared it was one of the teachers, but then she saw that this person was wearing a cloak with a cowl like the people in her dreams. This figure was looking right at the wall and it was completely silent.

"Hey, hey wait...can you tell me..." Marnie started to ask, but then the person walked straight through the wall as though it wasn't even there. "Whoa..."

We moved slowly across to the wall again and pushed her hands against it, but nothing happened. With a sigh, Marnie stood back and leaned against the stone wall at the side, and slid down into the floor clutching the torch in her hands. "What now..." she muttered, staring at the wall blocking her way.


	4. Chapter 3

**The White Wolf and the Wizard**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Marnie wasn't sure how long she sat against the stone walls letting out sigh after sigh of frustration as she stared at the obstacle blocking her way. After a while she considered simply giving up when, suddenly, another ghost like figure walked through the wall just like the first one had and she knew her time was running out. She'd need to head back soon because someone was bound to know that she was missing by now and she'd end up in a lot of trouble.

Maybe she'd got it all wrong. Maybe she was imagining things. Maybe she hadn't seen anything and she was going crazy.

"...Use your imagination..." she repeated, remembering what the man at the library had said. He'd seemed to know about the book she'd been reading and yet he hadn't told her anything useful, or so she'd thought at the time.

Why, exactly, she was suddenly thinking about what a nameless old man had told her, she had no idea, and Marnie thought she'd only end up looking like a fool, but she tried to imagine that the wall wasn't really there at all. It was better than going back to the group to face a telling off after all.

To her great surprise, her necklace started to glow again and the wall seemed to shake and crack until it opened like a sliding door for her to walk through. "...Wow..." she breathed, walking through it cautiously.

The two sides of the wall slammed together behind her and once she was over the shock, Marnie looked ahead again and saw an arched wooden door. She opened it and walked onto a small wooden mezzanine overlooking a large room.

It had a womb-like feel, with its dark, damask tapestries and embroidered drapes, the fur and persian rugs and the large, crackling open fire. Marnie strolled around the old wooden tables littered with bottled and chemicals, she walked past tables with candled and skulls and shining objects. She passed old picture frames, some of them empty, there were several suits of armour, swords and shields and scratched up old mirrors as well.

She eventually noticed the unusual looking helmet on a pedestal, Marnie walked over to it and reached out to touch it. A bright orange began to illuminate the cracks in the gold and she jumped back. She took a deep breath and put the helmet on and immediately saw her own bedroom as though she was standing in it. "...That's my..." she muttered with a frown.

Marnie lifted the helmet off and saw the castle room around her, them she put the helmet on again and saw her room once more, "This is my room...but how?" Taking the device off for the last time, Marnie put it down and breathed heavily as she realised that someone had been watching her.

"You took your time," a deep voice said.

Marnie jumped back and saw another cloaked figure standing before her. This one was holding a tall staff, but it looked much more real than the others she'd seen. The cloak was also like the one she'd seen in her dreams with gold runes on it.

"...Who...who are you?" she asked.

With one hand, the hood was pushed back and she could see the man's face clearly now, "It was you...you are that guy from the junk shop...and from the library...aren't you?" she asked. "Why've you been spying on me?! Who d'you think you are anyway?!" Marnie yelled, not more interested in why he'd be watching her rather than who he was.

"Do you know who I am, child? I am Michael Scot, alchemist to the Holy Roman Empire, translator of the ancients, a man of science, a man of logic. I am the mover of mountains, the shaker of foundations. And whether it be as an antiquarian, or as a professor in a library, twice, I have been forced to intervene to save you."

Though the man before her was both imposing and fearsome, Marnie forced herself to speak up, "You can add spy to your list as well...the way you spied on me," she cried pointing back at the helmet.

He said nothing to this, instead he took several slow steps across to her, and Marnie moved back slowly. "You really are the One," the man said, staring down at her.

Now very confused, Marnie watched as he turned away and walked back across the room by the fire, "Come, child, sit down," he insisted, "Come, come, sit down."

With reluctance as well as confusion, she warily went to sit in a chair nearest the fire and Michael Scot, if he really was Michael Scot, sat in the chair opposite her.

"So...what do you want to know?" he asked.

Marnie blinked, unsure where to start, "Well...how about that wall thing out there? There were these...people...they just walked through it but I..."

"It's only an illusion," Michael said, "The wall is there to deter unwelcome guests, and the people you saw were visions from the past. I had to give you a clue otherwise you'd have given up."

"You were watching me...of course you were..." Marnie muttered, "Then how did I...how did I..."

"Get through the illusion?" he guessed and she nodded, "The simplest answer is - with magic."

"With magic," she repeated incredulously, "Right...okay...well...next question, then...I...I keep having this dream...there's this wolf and I think you're there as well."

"That's no dream, it's a vision of the past, or possibly the future. The wolf, I assume, is white with gold eyes...and it attacks you every time."

"...Yeah..." she nodded slowly.

"It's been haunting me for over a thousand years," the man sighed, "Every time I think I've learned something about it..."

"What...what'd you mean?"

"It's no ordinary wolf, child, it's a lost relic of the worst clan of Druids..."

"Then why am I dreaming about it?" she asked quickly, cutting of his explanation much to his chagrin.

"When it first started appearing, a soothsayer told me that..."

"A soothsayer?"

"A fortune teller, now, you must let me continue," Michael sighed, "They told me that the Wolf was after power - it finds people with latent power and steals it before it can manifest. If we can find these people people it does, then we have a chance of saving them, but that's why it wants you. You have powerful magic...or...you will have, and I was told that I would have help in the last days of this war."

"...Whoa...wait a minute...what makes you think I can do anything about this..."

"I'm not sure you can," he admitted, "But I had a vision, it was on your birthday, and that night, the Wolf would've attacked you. You're alive because I stopped it in time."

"You...had a vision?"

"I did," Michael said, "Which is strange in itself. I haven't had a vision in centuries."

"...Right...yeah...that's a...a big problem, that..." Marnie rolled her eyes, and Michael frowned.

"What exactly am I saying that you find so amusing?!" he yelled, a strong gust of wind blasting out at Marnie in his frustration.

"Erm...nothing...sorry...sir..." she muttered.

"Hmmm," Michael raised an eyebrow.

"...Erm..." Marnie breathed, settling back in her chair, "But...I...I really think you've got the wrong person, I mean, I..."

"You think so?"

"...In case you hadn't noticed," she began, her confidence growing again, "...I'm just a kid, a kid who's not even from around here a kid from the States who knows exactly zip about you and your history or about 'magic'," she shrugged, "No, it's all too crazy," she finished, walking back towards the stairs, "I can't deal with this..."

"Like mother, like daughter, hmm?" Michael suddenly said, turning round in his chair. He'd, quite effectively, stopped Marnie dead in her tracks half way across the room on the stairs.

"Are you saying that...you knew my mom?" the girl asked, slowly turing back to face the old wizard who nodded once, "And, did...did she believe you?" Marnie asked.

"...If she could've helped in any way, she would have," Michael said.

"...My mom...is dead," Marnie cried, "Look...I don't know you...I don't believe any of this..." she said. "You can take this back," she added. Marnie took off the necklace and put it down on one of the tables and walked off towards the stairs again.

"Marnie!" Michael called, "Marnie," he repeated, pointing his index and middle finger out to cast a spell. It fused the stone of the stairs to the girl's shoes and she couldn't move from the spot no matter how much she tried.

"Let me go!" the girl cried, trying to bring her feet up from the stone. She jolted back when the wizard appeared right in front of her in a flash of light, kneeling on the steps before her.

"Listen to me; this war, this quest, it's not just your only hope. It is the worlds' only hope. You're in danger every minute you're out there. This is here to protect you," he said, raising his hand. In it, was the necklace which he now held out to Marnie. "You need to learn to use your gifts, until you do, this'll help...take it."

"...No..."

"You must," Michael insisted, "Your dreams are warning you, you feel it and you must believe it."

"It's all..."

"People have died. People are dying and this thing, this Wolf, even before I was born, its destructive powers were growing, they grow even faster now. And perhaps it is unfair, that an eleven year old girl who knows 'zip' about history should be the one to help change it. But who ever said life was fair?" he said.

"I..." Marnie began.

But Michael waved his hand over her eyes before she could continue, "Tell no one of this. Think only of the quest. Let your heart decide," he said, sending her back to the corridors outside the Sanctum.

"But I..." she said, stopping when she saw that she was in the dark corridors again. With her hand, she reached up and found the necklace back around her neck.

After a second she realised that she was probably more than a little late and she started running but she ran straight into something. "Arghh!" Marnie screamed, jumping back.

"Arghh!" Laura screamed.

"Laura," Marnie exclaimed, standing back.

"Marnie, am I glad to see you," the girl sighed, "Come on," she said, lightly dragging her friend back through the tunnels where they cam face to face with their less than amused teacher.

"Ah, ladies," Mrs. McKay exhaled.

"Sorry, miss, we..." Marnie began.

"I don't want to hear it, now, come on. We're half an hour late as it is," the lady frowned, watching them both sheepishly join the group.

"Find who you were looking for?" Ailsa quietly asked Marnie.

"...I..." Marnie blinked and chose, wisely, not to answer.

"We're all here, now everyone on the coach," their teacher spoke out.

* * *

High above, behind the battlements of his castle, Michael Scot watched the school children leave. He watched his student, Ailsa and he watched Marnie. He knew she could be the key to ending the war he'd been fighting for eleven hundred years but he didn't have much time. The wizard knew that the girl needed to believe him, and she also needed to learn to harness her gifts before they were stolen by the Wolf.

"Until next time, child," Michael whispered, his voice carrying off on the wind.


	5. Chapter 4

**The White Wolf and the Wizard**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

After being given the task of writing a three page essay about the history of Tantallon Castle with a deadline of one day, as punishment for sneaking off, Marnie and Laura spent their school day together with their new friend Ailsa, ignoring the taunts of Dougie and Stuart. Until, at the end of the day their taunts grew ever more vindictive.

The three girls were attempting to ignore them, but their frustration was growing and Marnie's anger triggered her powers. The necklace started to glow in sync with her emotions as her anger mounted and mounted until it exploded out of her. The overhead light flickered and crackled and it swung down, knocking both boys off their feet, bloodying their noses.

Ailsa furrowed her brow at Marnie, she knew what had happened, and she knew what would happen to her master because of this, but she could do nothing about it.

"My god!" Laura exclaimed, "What did...we've...I'm going to get Mrs. McKay..."

Marnie, was frozen as her friend ran back to class to fetch their teacher. She clutched the necklace which had now stopped glowing but her heart didn't stop pounding.

* * *

At the same time, Michael Scot, pacing the length of his rooms, suddenly fell to the floor, wrapping his arms around himself as he felt the pain of both the school boys.

"No, Marnie, you don't understand," the wizard groaned, "When you misuse your powers you slowly...kill my own..."

His breathing was haggard and strained as he pushed himself up to find his glass vial in which he'd been storing his 'medicine'. It was designed to boost his magical powers for just such an occasion.

Years ago he was warned that when his Chosen One appeared, his powers would wane as theirs grew. Whether or not his own powers returned would depend on the heart of that One. If Marnie chose to abuse her powers then Michael would become powerless and probably die. He would need to make sure that Marnie knew that she could do good with her gifts, not just evil.

"Master!" McTaggart ran over to the ailing wizard, "What happened?"

"The girl...is abusing her power..."

"But then...you..." the younger man failed to complete his sentence at his master's look of resignation.

* * *

The three girls were held back and, though cleared of any suspicion, Marnie knew that the accident had been all her fault and after parting ways from Laura and Ailsa, Marnie, instead of going home, wandered the streets. She figured that she had a while before her father was expecting her home. After all, the headmaster had phoned him and said she'd be late, he'd never given a specific time.

Without realising it, she soon found herself in the magnificent St. Gilles Cathedral. It was deserted and her footsteps echoed loudly against the stone floor. In retrospect it was a beautiful place, but hardly one an eleven year old girl would really appreciate. Why, or even how she'd gravitated to the grand cathedral she couldn't say, but she searched her mind for an answer as she wandered through the building.

When she came across a stained glass window, she didn't really of much attention and continued walking, but then, Marnie stopped, and ran back to it. The beautiful, spotless stained glass window portrayed the same symbol that was on her necklace and she couldn't help but stare at it. What was it doing in the cathedral?

As she gazed at it she could feel her heart rate beginning to rise and an image appeared before her eyes. It was the same as she was seeing in her dreams every night, but she wasn't sleeping now, so it couldn't just be a dream anymore, could it?

Again, she saw the person in the dark cloak with a staff, who she now knew to be Michael Scot, or at least the man beloved himself to be Michael Scot. It still seemed unreal to Marnie, that a man could live for over a thousand years, let alone use magic. But she had seen his magic, she had used it on Dougie and Stuart, so magic had to be real. And if it was, then couldn't Michael Scot be who he said?

Before her eyes, Marnie saw Michael stare down the White Wolf until it pounced on him and the image faded away, leaning her staring at the stained glass window again.

"Wh...how..." she breathed, stepping away from the window.

"Grrrrrrr..." she heard an animal growl and she swallowed deeply.

Marnie, with great fear and reluctance, turned around and then promptly jumped back. "Whoa..." she breathed, taking slow steps backwards, away from the White Wolf that was circling her.

With a quickening heart beat, she eyed all possible exists and tried to move quickly away, but the animal, much faster than she was, cut off her retreat in an instant. She couldn't think clearly at all because she was so afraid. This wolf had an otherworldliness about it, something Marnie couldn't put into words and just when she thought the animal was going to strike, there was a flash of light in front of her.

Michael Scot was now standing between her and the Wolf wearing his long cloak and holding his staff. "I warned you about this," he said, and it was unclear as to who exactly he was addressing. "Begone, foul creature," the man sneered and it growled and snarled at him.

"Grrrr..." the Wolf snapped its large teeth at him.

The animal let out a dark spark of energy and Michael lifted his staff slightly, and a bright light shot out, like lightning, it flew out, clashing with the opposing power of darkness.

"Whoa..." Marnie's eyes widened at the scene before her.

Michael moved back as the dark energy pushed at him. The earlier drain on his magic, because of Marnie's misuse of her own abilities, was weighing heavily on him. He knew he was in no condition to fight his enemy but if he didn't, then the girl would die.

"...Michael..." Marnie murmured quietly as she was forced to retreat two steps for each of his larger ones.

"Stay back!" the man yelled in reply, his voice hoarse and worn.

As Marnie moved back ever further, Michael, it seemed was being over powered and she could do nothing to help him. He fell back against a golden ornament, the metal shined and polished to perfection, he reached out a hand and channeled the dark magic into the pure gold ore. Pure metals held a power of their own that few people ever got to see or understand, but as an alchemist, Michael was able to use this to his advantage. And in so doing, he saved both himself and Marnie.

It had brought him an opening in the fight and as the Wolf cut off its attack he was able to turn the animal into stone which then shattered into a thousand tiny pieces onto the floor. Michael let out a deep, shaky breath and lowered his staff to the floor as he rummaged through his cloak to find his glass vial.

"...Hey...are you okay?" Marnie asked uneasily, taking slow steps forwards again and round to stand in front of the wizard. "What's wrong?"

"You," he replied, putting the lid back on the vial and hiding it in a pocket in his robes again.

"What? What'd you..."

"You misused your power on your school friends."

"...You've been spying on me again," Marnie frowned.

"I didn't need to," Michael sighed, "I felt what they felt," he said, pushing himself up using his staff.

"...What?"

"You're the One...you're not supposed to misuse your power...when you do, you kill my own."

"I didn't mean to do that! I was just..." she yelled.

"Angry, I know," he nodded, walking over to her, "That is why you need to accept your gifts, accept them and control them before they control you."

"...I don't even know how I..." Marnie sighed, "I wish I..."

"...Master..." McTaggart said, running through the cathedral and reaching his master. He couldn't help but notice how pale the man was, even more so than earlier.

"Hey...you're..." Marnie stared at him. She only knew him as the tour guide from Tantallon castle.

"It's not the day of reckoning yet, McTaggart," Michael said, walking across to his servant. "Take him into the woods, he'll be back," the wizard said, staring back at the pile of rubble that had once been a wolf.

"...Right..." the man nodded, and eyed the large pile he'd have to move.

"Go home, child," Michael said to Marnie, "Go home and think about the gifts you've been given. Those gifts aren't meant to be squandered," he said, turning away.

"I don't want this power, I don't need it, I never asked for it!" she replied.

"It's yours and whether you want it or not, you must use it!"

"Why?!"

"It's your destiny."

"...Destiny..." Marnie scoffed, rolling her eyes, still visibly shaken by what she'd just seen.

"And there's nothing either of us can do to change it," Michael told her sternly.

Marnie sighed and crossed her arms as she regarded the pile of rubble that McTaggart was slowly putting into a bag. "...This is just too..." she said to herself.

"You're going home," Michael said to her, "You know where I'll be if you need me."

"...Not all of us have magic spying helmets, y'know. How am I supposed to find you?" she asked as he waved a hand over her eyes again.

"You've already know how, you just need the password," Michael answered evasively before she vanished.

* * *

Marnie found herself somehow standing in front of her house and somehow, no one had noticed her appear there by magic. She tried not to give it much thought as she opened the door.

She spent the next few hours writing her essay and she made it as historically accurate as she could. She didn't want to get in even more trouble and it was a good distraction from replaying what she'd seen in the cathedral. That was all too crazy to think about. But after she'd eaten tea with her father, she finished the essay, and then she couldn't stop herself from thinking about it no matter how much she tried.

Marnie later spent time emailing her friend Laura and found that she too had written the essay so they chatted aimlessly until late at night.

"Hey," her dad smiled, coming into her room as she lay in bed.

"Hey, dad."

"I got a letter from grandma and grandpa today, they send their love," he remarked and she nodded. "You've really taken a shine to that thing, haven't you?" Ross asked his daughter, gesturing to the necklace around her neck.

"Yeah, I guess," she smiled.

"So...what exactly happened in school today?"

"It...it was just a stupid accident," Marnie sighed, "These boys were just being stupid and the light just..."

"I'm only asking because your teacher's worried about you," Ross said sadly.

"...Hmm..."

"I know it wasn't your fault, but I'm worried about you too, I want you to be happy."

"...I know...it's just...hard..."

"Yeah," he nodded, "But it'll get better."

"...Will it?" Marnie asked hopefully.

"I hope so, don't you?" her father asked, smiling at her and pulling her into a hug. "...Night," he said a minute later, closing the door behind him.

* * *

"The password...great..." Marnie sighed, resting her head on her desk that night, "Why can't he just give me a straight answer..."

After her father had gone to bed, she'd turned on the computer at which she'd been staring for about half an hour with unamused eyes. She'd once more loaded the website for Tantallon castle and the words, 'please enter your password' had been staring back, tormenting her.

Marnie began thinking that maybe she should just give up and go to bed, she did have to go to school in the morning and she looked at the clock on the screen to see that it was eleven o'clock. Then it hit her...She'd turned eleven when Michael said he'd had his vision. The clock had struck eleven for, apparently the first time in eleven hundred years, at eleven in the junk shop. And the map in the small red book had been on page eleven. It couldn't be that easy, surely.

She typed in a series of 'ones' and hit enter. And then nothing happened. "...Knew it..." she mumbled, resting her head back on the desk and closing her eyes.

When she looked up, intending to turn off the computer and go to bed, she found that she was no longer in her room. Instead she was sat at one of the many desks in the castle rooms of a Michael Scot, and she looked very out of place in her pink pyjamas and dressing gown.


	6. Chapter 5

**The White Wolf and the Wizard**

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Marnie pushed the wooden chair back and looked around to see a very tired looking Michael sat in a chair covered by a fur throw by the crackling fire.

"...Pass me that..." the man told her, coughing and wheezing.

"That?" she asked, pointing at the glass vial closet to her and he nodded quickly.

He snatched it quickly when she took it over to him and drained its contents in seconds with a sigh if relief afterward. "What is that?" she asked him, sitting opposite him, nervously. The wizard didn't answer her and McTaggart chose that moment to saunter in, carrying a silver plate of food.

"Master, I brought you some nice Scottish goodness," the man said, setting down the plate. He hardly showed any signs of shock at seeing Marnie there, like his master.

"Not hungry," Michael told him.

"...You're like a wee boy, y'know that, sir?" McTaggart sighed dramatically, tucking the falling blanket around his ailing master. "You cann'e go on like this," he said, standing back.

"...Don't have a choice," the wizard replied.

"You could ask for help, Wolfgang and Bruno and Edwin..."

"Are all decent wizards in their own right...they're all too busy..."

"They're all fighting for you, they're fighting with you, sir, you don't think Ailsa's here for the fine weather, d'you?"

"...Ailsa?" Marnie repeated.

"Aye," McTaggart nodded, "Another of his grand plans to keep an eye on you. Ailsa's one of his students, and for nigh on two weeks he's been powering an illusion to make her look like a wee lassie. And look what it's done to you, sir!"

"...You mean...Ailsa from school...isn't..."

"She's no wee lassie," the younger man reiterated.

"McTaggart!" Michael scowled.

"She's got a right to know now, surely," the servant said.

"How can you expect me to trust to when you don't tell me the truth and keep spying on me?!" Marnie sighed.

"It's only thanks to my 'spying' that you're still alive!"

"Aye, and how much longer are you gonna be, if you keep this up?" McTaggart said to him quickly.

"...You're...dying?" the girl furrowed her brow.

"My power is fading...the balance is shifting..." Michael murmured, his eyes closing.

"Master!" McTaggart cried, "...Michael!" he said, gently shaking the man by the shoulder.

"...It's amassed too much power," the wizard continued sleepily, "...I can't hold it back forever..."

"But...then...your students...why can't they..." Marnie shook her head.

"We're over eleven hundred years old," McTaggart said, turning to face her with a sombre expression, "His magic is the only thing keeping us all alive...once he...then we all..."

"...And the balance is shattered..." Michael sighed.

"Balance, what balance?" Marnie asked.

"The balance of good and evil," McTaggart told her, "The black and white magic."

"...Magic..." she sighed. It was still almost impossible that this was all real.

"This is no dream, child," the wizard told her as though reading her thoughts, "You know this is real. You know can't ignore this..."

"I don't know any magic!" Marnie cried, "I don't know anything about all this! I don't know how I'm supposed to help you," she said, walking back and forth.

"You are the One meant to stop the war...which side you choose to help is up to you."

"What d'you mean?"

"Just because I saved you doesn't mean you have to help me," Michael told her, "If you choose the path of darkness I can't stop you, but if you do, your powers will be taken from you by the Wolf and I will lose."

"...It doesn't really sound like I have a choice," Marnie sighed.

"There's always choice...but there isn't much time."

"...I...I really can't help you," the girl sighed, "You've got the wrong kid, okay...I'm...I'm grateful for everything you've done, sir, but...let me go home..."

Michael only closed his eyes and breathed quietly as McTaggart led Marnie to the door which she opened and appeared back in her bedroom.

"Eleven hundred years we've been waiting for this," McTaggart said when she was gone, "And you're just gonna let it all fall apart?"

"You heard her," Michael replied.

"Aye, but there's no walking away from this for the lassie, she's part of it, isn't she?"

"I've been wrong before," the wizard sighed.

"You didn'e have any visions about the others," McTaggart frowned.

Michael said nothing, he didn't know what else to say, so he simply leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

* * *

As the days passed, Marnie tried to assume a sense of normalcy, and even though part of her was dying to speak to Ailsa, who apparently was much more than she appeared, she didn't. Se continued acting as though she didn't know anything because it was better than acknowledging that it was all real and that she was supposed to help a wizard defeat a great evil power.

Marnie and her class were to visit Hopetoun House and she was probably the only one of her class even remotely looking forward to it. As they sat on the coach ride there, most of the students complained that what they really wanted was a day off, not a day trip.

As they disembarked the vehicle and waited at the entrance, Stuart, not one to miss an opportunity for cruelty, smirked over at Marnie. "Hey!" he grinned, "Nice necklace, your boyfriend give it to you?" he sneered walking over to her intending to steal it.

But Marnie, no matter what Michael said, didn't intend to put up with Stuart's relentless teasing anymore. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" he yelled when she made to walk away.

He grabbed her shoulder and slammed her against the coach, making her anger rise again. Her magic shone forth, and of course, he noticed this, "It lights up," he said, reaching out to snatch it off her neck. "Argh!" the boy cried when it shocked him like electricity. He clutched his hand, feeling a sharp stinging pain.

Marnie was now very smug and she walked of laughing to herself, but her pride didn't last long as Stuart ran past her, pushing her to the hard, stone floor. "Real mature, Stuart, and you wonder why you can't get a girlfriend," Laura sneered at him, as she and Ailsa helped Marnie up. "Are you okay?" she asked her friend.

"I'm fine," Marnie sighed and they followed their group into the building.

"Can I have everyone attention, please," their teacher called out, "As you know, we'll be participating in the museum's art competition today. The winning piece will be displayed in the lobby. You can paint whatever inspires you, and there's only one rule. Your painting depict something already on display in the house. And watch out for the ghost of the famous painter, Monroe Henry, it's said his bones are hidden somewhere in the house. Okay, let's go an find some subjects to paint," she clapped her hands and the students dispersed.

Marnie walked off on her own and was strolling slowly through a large room with a wall of large windows on one side.

"All alone are we?" Stuart's smug voice echoed in the room and Marnie turned to face him.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone, loser," Marnie sighed.

"Come here, freak, I'm gonna paint my picture, with your blood," he replied, walking over to her.

Marnie breathed heavily and clutched at her necklace, and at the same time, a wooden casket lifted open by itself at the other end of the room. While outside the only open door, Ailsa stood hidden, watching the girl.

"Master, are you watching this?" Ailsa whispered using her magic to call to Michael.

"Did you do that?" Stuart frowned at the look on Marnie's face. When she saturated walking forwards he moved back and the door suddenly closed by itself. "Stop it...this isn't funny, I'm sorry, alright," he cried, tripping over the casket and falling inside. "Argh!" he yelled seeing the bones he was lying next to.

"Don't worry," Marnie smiled, "He won't bite, he's already dead," she said and the casket lid fell down.

"Let me out!" the boy cried as she left the room, "Please...someone..."

* * *

"She mustn't corrupt her own power," Michael said to himself, putting down his helmet, "I'll have to stop her."

* * *

Marnie walked on through the house and mere minutes had passed before she started to hear beautiful violin music. It echoed lightly through the rooms and Marnie listened carefully as she followed it. Every door she tried to open was locked and it seemed that she was lead to a specific one, one with a strong, warm light coming from underneath the old wooden door. It was the only one which would open, and she went inside the room.

There, she found the castle rooms beneath Tantallon and standing before the fireplace, playing the violin, was Michael.

"What am I doing here?" Marnie asked, exasperated. She wondered for a second, when the feeling of exasperation had replaced surprise, at being magically transported to another location.

Michael said nothing as he continued to play the instrument, one hand releasing the bow."I told you...I wish I could help with your magic quest, war, problem thing, but I can't," she said to him, watching as the bow began to move by itself.

Then, he stepped away from the violin and it floated in the air where he'd left it, continuing to play the same music. Marnie stared at it in awe, watching its movements as the wizard

"A Stradivarius...beautiful, priceless," he remarked, sitting down and watching the instrument play, "You see, Marnie, you can use power, or you can misuse it," he added, clicking his fingers.

Marnie caught the violin as it fell, lifelessly from the air and stopped it from shattering on the hard ground. As she moved to out it down on a table her eyes caught sight of a familiar signature on one of many sheets of old style parchment paper on a desk. Marnie, unable to resist, shifted away the papers on top of it, and she found several paintings, all adorned with her mother's artistic style and signature.

There was a painting of the room she was standing in, one of the crumbling castle façade, one of McTaggart, then one of Michael himself, and then four people whom she'd never seen before.

"She was a good painter, your mother..." Michael said, his voice quieting, "She had a gift..."

"...You really did know my mom," Marnie whispered, looking at each of the beautiful paintings, "...And she...she came here?"

"Yes," the wizard answered with a rueful smile.

"Why...why didn't she ever say anything?"

"Your mother wasn't like you," he said, "She didn't have the power to do much of anything. She wanted to though. She wanted it more than anything. We thought at first that she was the One...but we were wrong, I was wrong. It left a great sadness in her heart, and seemed to eat away at her until the very end..."

"Is that what killed her?"

"No, a disease killed her, a disease so strong even I couldn't cure her," Michael replied sadly. "I gave her that necklace to hide what little power she had so the Wolf wouldn't find her, but yours is too strong to hide," he said, breaking of into a fit of hacking coughs.

Marnie spared him a sympathetic glance and went looking for the vial he'd asked for last time. She handed him a golden goblet and he drank from it without a word. It seemed to bring him some relief.

"...My dad...doesn't know any of this, does he?" she asked him.

"No...your mother thought it best," the wizard replied, his voice hoarse and weak, "To keep you both safe, you were never meant to know..."

"...But I do know."

"Then what are you going to do about it?" he asked.

Marnie was at a loss for words as she slowly out down the paintings only to find an envelope with her name written on it where the paintings had been. She'd been so enthralled with them that she'd not noticed it earlier.

"...What's this?" she asked.

"Your mother left it the last time I saw her," Michael answered solemnly, "I've not touched it," he said, watching the girl sit down in a chair by the fire and stared at the envelope.

"...Why would she leave something for me here?"

"...She told me it was because of a dream she'd had, she said it was 'just in case it came true', I don't think she expected to be right, maybe she hoped she'd be wrong."

She quickly tore open the envelope to find a single sheet of normal, mass made white paper covered with line after line of her mother's writing.

_My darling daughter, if you're reading this I can only assume that my dream was right, but if you're not the one reading this, Michael, I really did mean it when I asked you not to open this so please put it back._

Marnie smiled as she read the first sentence. She missed her mother's sense of humour.

_I never expected in a million years that I'd have a prophetic dream since I know my own magic is almost non-existent, but I've known that you were special since the day you were born._

_I should first tell you, that I was about seventeen when I first met Michael Scot, and as you no doubt did, I thought he was rather unusual. I thought he was a liar and I didn't want anything to do with the man. But, when I was attacked by a white wolf, he saved me and I couldn't deny it after that. After a while it became clear that my own power was of little use but it still put me in a dangerous position. I was given an enchanted necklace to hide my power and my life went on, unhindered by the secret war between the wizard and the Wolf._

_Somehow, I'm not entirely sure how but McTaggart, Michael, and his students became my good friends, friends that have stayed with me and guarded me throughout my life. I chose to keep this, all of it, from your father and from you to keep you safe so that you would never be at risk as I was._

_I don't want to upset you, Marnie, but everything he could do to save my life, Michael did and more. Don't blame him, my darling, we all have our time, and after all, despite everything, he is still human. He makes mistakes just like the rest of us._

_You have the chance to do something amazing, something good and just, and if I could've done it in your place, believe me, I would have. I've seen what this evil can do and it needs to be stopped, but it has to be your choice. No matter what you choose, know that your parents love you more than everything._

_Trust Michael. Trust yourself._

_Your loving mother._


	7. Chapter 6

**The White Wolf and the Wizard**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Marnie raised her eyes from the paper after a while and looked across at the wizard sat opposite her. For a while she couldn't speak and it was difficult not to cry.

"My mom trusted you," she said later, "She says you were friends."

"Your mother was...a remarkable woman," Michael told her, "I wish I could've done more for her."

Marnie folded up the letter and stored it safely inside her blazer pocket as she regarded the man in front of her. "If...I I did want to help...what would I have to do?" she asked after a minute.

Michael looked up at her, barely able to keep the surprise from his face as he answered, "You need to know your powers," he said.

"And how do I do that?"

"Usually it takes time, but time is something we don't have," the man sighed.

"Then how do I..."

"My students will meet me here tonight, I will bring you here then and I will teach you...if you are willing to learn," he said.

"...Okay..." Marnie nodded.

Michael held his hand over her eyes and when she opened them again she was standing in the same corridor as before.

"Marnie, I've been looking everywhere for you," Laura said walking over to her.

"I was just..."

"Have you done your painting yet," she asked but Marnie shook her head, "Well, you better pick something quick."

They wandered the house for another few minutes before Marnie drew one of the rooms and when she'd finished she went off on her own. She had time left before they were supposed to meet up to leave so she decided to explore the old house until then.

As she moved she could feel a dark presence following her and she was looking over her shoulder every minute even though she saw nothing unusual. A minute later, she knew why when she walked outside and stopped in her tracks when she saw the White Wolf standing by one of the large stone pillars.

"Hello, Marnie," she heard a voice in her head say.

It wasn't the voice of Michael Scot that she had heard in her mind before, this was a much more different kind of voice. It was eerie and made her blood run cold.

"It's you, isn't it?" she whispered, staring at the animal, "...You're talking..." Marnie took a step back and she could hear nothing over her own heavy breathing, "What do you want with me?" she asked.

"To offer you a choice," the voice said, "Willingly give to me your powers, or face the consequences; my patience runs thin, decide now."

Marnie, although she wasn't sure why, knew that there was something distinctly wrong about this creature. She couldn't describe it, but there was a dark aura that followed it. She clutched her necklace in her fear and before she knew it, she vanished from the courtyard and reappeared inside the house. "How did I..." she muttered to herself.

She was standing alone in what looked like a small library or a study, but she wasn't alone for long. The Wolf appeared before her in a dark cloud of smoke and she ran behind the wooden desk, keeping it between her and the animal. "Leave me alone," she cried.

"Grrrr!" the Wolf let out a growl as it jumped onto the desk and stared her down.

A second later, a spark of white light hit the animal, knocking it back and Marnie looked around, expecting to see Michael, and surprised to see Ailsa standing across the room, holding out her hand which was crackling with energy.

The Wolf was sent flying across the room and Ailsa let loose another spell, this time turning it into a harmless rat which she picked up and tossed out of the window with a smile.

"Whoa..." Marnie sighed, "Erm...thanks..."

"How was my master?" Alisa asked quickly closing the window.

"...Not too good..." Marnie answered.

"As power fades quickly, so do ours."

"What...what'd you..."

"Michael is keeping us, myself and my fellow students, and McTaggart alive, it takes a lot of energy. He doesn't have long," Ailsa explained.

"You...you mean he's going to..."

"Not if we can help it," she replied, "Now, come on, we're leaving soon," Ailsa added, leading Marnie from the room.

* * *

That night, Marnie sat at her computer, nervous, wondering just when Michael planned to bring her to the castle. She jumped in shock when her father came in and sat on her bed.

"I just got a call from the school," he said and Marnie braced herself but her father smiled. "When were you gonna tell me you won the painting competition?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," she nodded.

"Well, you must've got that gene from your mother because I can't even paint a wall. She'd be proud of you though, I know I am."

"Thanks, dad," Marnie smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile, all of Michael Scot's students were gathered in his Inner Sanctum while the great wizard himself sat by the fire, his lethargy increasing. McTaggart and his students were all sat around the fire apart from his son who was extremely tense and bitter.

"An eleven year old girl!" Wolfgang hissed, pacing in front of the fire, "A child is to be your Chosen One!"

"Calm down, Wolfgang," Edwin frowned, "The girl was chosen..."

"By who?! By what?!"

"By fate," Michael answered.

"Fate!" Wolfgang scoffed, "The girl has no power! She has no chance against the Wolf!"

"Her power grows quickly," Ailsa said, "I've seen it."

"We've had eleven hundred years to perfect our own powers, we don't need a child to end this war for us!" Wolfgang replied angrily.

"The prophecy was made long before any of us," Michael sighed, rubbing his eyes, "Marnie is destined to bring an end to our war, and that time is upon us."

"Prophecy!" his son repeated incredulously, "Some great wizard you are father, you'd rely on a child to end your own war!"

"Right, that's enough," McTaggart cried.

"Angus, ever the faithful servant. You've seen what your master can do, d'you really think he needs a child to help him?!"

"I can't do everything. You never could understand that," Michael scoffed, "My power is fading, I know you can feel your own strength fading with it. The girl's magic is tied to my own. Only if she chooses to fight with me, only if we defeat the Wolf, will my strength return."

"Why is her magic tied to yours?" Bruno asked, "I know it's in the prophecy...but why?"

"Because she has the potential to be my equal, maybe even my superior."

"And I suppose we do not," Wolfgang scowled.

"I know you're angry, and I know you're bitter, my son," his father met his eyes with a calm expression. "But if any of us could have defeated it, we would've done so a long time ago."

"But an eleven year old child!"

"You think I'm easy in my mind about this?" Michael snapped, "Everything I've seen and done...only to be humbled by a child...making a child choose this...I never wanted this."

"We know that, master," Edwin said, frowning at Wolfgang, "He's only jealous."

"Only jealous!" the man scoffed, "Am I not your son?" he said to his father, "Have I not done everything you've ever asked of me?"

"Yes," Michael said insistently, "Yes, you have and more...and you know that. But if I am defeated..."

"Then we all fade away, I know."

"I've told you before," Michael began, siting up in his chair, "I will not teach you that spell," he said. He knew his son desperately wanted to know how to support his own life force, rather than rely on his father to keep him alive. "It will corrupt you, I won't do that to you, to any of you."

"But you would, quite willingly, put our lives in the hands of a child?" Wolfgang scoffed.

"Have you learnt nothing in eleven centuries, Wolfgang? There are many things beyond our control..."

"And yet you can cheat death."

"No, no..." the wizard sighed, "My time will come...I'm no god, my son," he whispered and Wolfgang, for the first time that night, really saw how worn his father was.

Despite their occasional disagreements, he did actually care for the old man, so he chose to back down. "...Well then...the girl..." Wolfgang waved a dismissive hand.

* * *

Marnie was lying in her bed in her clothes and she was just nodding off when she heard it. Her eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright.

"Marnie," Michael's voice said in her mind, "Marnie...open your door..." With a look of confusion, Marnie did as he said, putting on her jacket and shoes to see the crackling fire she'd come to associate with the Inner Sanctum.

Around the fire sat Michael and McTaggart and four people she recognised from her mother's painting. She assumed that these were Michael's students and they looked just as out of place as she did in their modern clothes...and that the woman was Ailsa.

"...So you're the real Ailsa?" she asked.

"I am," the woman nodded. She was a fairly young individual with long red hair and sharp green eyes. "And this is Edwin, Bruno and Wolfgang," she said, glancing at her fellow students in turn.

Edwin was a lanky, middle aged man with greying hair and a short goatee beard, while Bruno was more bulky than his friends with a kind, open face. Wolfgang's features were angular and slightly stern as he gave an almost imperceivable nod in Marnie's direction.

"...Hey..." Marnie breathed, somewhat awkwardly.

"Sit down, Marnie," McTaggart said, gesturing to a vacant chair.

"You realise...I won't be teaching you things for nothing...there will be a battle..." Michael said to her.

"...Yeah...but that thing won't leave me alone...it's not like I have much of a choice."

"So speaks the voice of wisdom," Wolfgang sighed.

"Wolfgang," Ailsa scowled at him.

"The Day of Reckoning approaches," Michael said heavily, "...Although just whose Day of Reckoning it is, I don't know..."

Wolfgang and his fellow students gazed at their ailing master as his words faded and Marnie felt a deep wish to be anywhere but here. It was like watching her mother wasting away all over again.

"So...erm...what'll you be teaching me?" she asked quietly.

"We'll be teaching you," Ailsa said, stepping forwards, "...As much as we can...we'll start with the basics," she added.

Michael glared over at her. He understood that she, like his other three students, was worried about him, but he didn't want to be treated like a helpless invalid.

"You need to rest, master," McTaggart said, easily reading the anger forming on the wizard's face.

"He is right," Wolfgang spoke, "Don't waste what power you have left."

"...You're all against me," Michael murmured, leaning his head back into the fur throw on the chair.

"Of course we are, sir," the man rolled his eyes, "...A wee boy, I'm telling you..." he muttered under his breath to the others.

Marnie couldn't help but smile a little as they tried very hard to hold back their chuckles of laughter as their master sighed in irritation.

"Right then," Edwin clapped his hand together, trying to break the tension. He picked up a book and dropped it onto the table, flicking forwards a few pages. "We start at the beginning...what do you already know?" he asked her.

"Erm...well...I..." Marnie stammered nervously, "...Nothing really...sorry..."

"Oh, well then, it really is at the beginning," Edwin smiled, turning back the pages he'd planned on skipping through.

"Get on with it, you great bag of wind," Ailsa rolled her eyes.

"Right, well, yes..."

"The main aim of Alchemy, though by no means the only one, was the transformation of base metal into gold, although that might short change us a little bit," Wolfgang told her.

"Yes, exactly what I was going to say," Edwin nodded.

"Oh," Michael sighed deeply. Though he cared deeply for his students, the one reason why he still regarded them as such rather than individual, powerful alchemists, was that in some ways, not one of them had matured to a standard he'd have liked. McTaggart often accused him of being too harsh on this issue and he supposed he was, but he could tell that this was going to be a very long night, especially if he had to listen to his students butcher the teachings he'd spent so much effort drilling into their heads.


	8. Chapter 7

**The White Wolf and the Wizard**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

As the days passed, Marnie saw things in more of a blur. Her school days were slow and tedious, but some good did come from it. Instead of being tormented by both Dougie and Stuart, Dougie it seemed was a very nice young man who now spent his day with Marnie, Laura and Ailsa who kept a close eye on all of them.

Marnie's afternoons were spent either with those friends, or doing her homework, and then her nights she spent in the Inner Sanctum with Michael and his students, learning the basics of alchemy. It was slow, heavy going, and at times she despaired that she'd ever learn anything. She began to see the symbols for alchemy in her sleep and even when she was awake because she was spending so much time trying to understand them.

She began to learn the different teaching styles of Michael's four students. Edwin, for example was slightly over confident and pompous but she enjoyed the time she spent with him. Ailsa was probably the most patient, while Bruno was the kindest, but Wolfgang was different. Marnie couldn't make him out. One minute he'd be understanding, the next he'd be impatient and irritable, but despite this, Marnie could see that he was the most knowledgable.

As returned home after school one night, knowing that her father was staying late at the library, she would be alone until late in the evening. She dragged her feet as she walked into the house and into the living room to see Michael sitting there, as though he owned the place.

"Whoa..." Marnie jumped, "Can you please give me some warning if you're just gonna come to my house?! What if my dad was here? How exactly would I explain that there's some guy in an old cloak sitting his living room?"

"Your father is working late," Michael replied, "We both know that."

"No thanks to your magic spying helmet, I guess," she sighed, unimpressed as she dropped her school bag onto the floor. "So, what's wrong?"

"We're running out of time," Michael said gravely.

"I know, I know, okay, I've heard this, like what, a million times," Marnie sighed, "I'm trying as hard as I can! It's not easy stuff to learn, okay?! You've all had about a thousand years, and I've only had a few weeks!"

"I understand your frustration, child..."

"My name is Marnie," she sighed.

"...But I'm not here to scold you," Michael said as though she'd said nothing.

"...You're not?"

"No."

"...Oh..."

"You're actually doing rather well," he told her, "For a child who, only recently learnt how to define the subject she's attempting to learn."

"...Thanks...I think...but, then, why are you here?"

"It's quiet," he replied.

"What?" Marnie blinked, but Michael seemed determined not to meet her gaze.

"My students..." he sighed, "Have spent the entire day attempting to wire electricity into the castle."

"Really? Can I see?" she laughed.

Michael, however, was not amused. He'd shouted and yelled and even growled to try and get his students to stop, but they hadn't listened. In fact, when he'd left them, Edwin had been on the verge of getting himself electrocuted for shoddy wiring. Wolfgang had been against it at first, but even he had been unable to resist the 'fun.'

"...Sorry," Marnie mumbled sheepishly., "It's, erm...not going well then?"

"No."

"Well, I have homework to do...so...I mean, you probably don't even think it's important, but this could mean I flunk out completely if I don't get this done by tomorrow, and I..."

"What is it?"

"What is what?"

"Your 'homework'."

"...Science..." Marnie answered, wondering why a wizard would even want to know about her homework.

"Give it to me," Michael said and Marnie did so, but with a very confused expression. He waved his hand at it a trail of golden dust spiralled around it, making it fly out of her hands and onto the floor. A quill appeared out of nowhere and it began to write by itself.

Marnie smiled, "Wow...it is putting the right answers down...I mean you wouldn't just write anything on there...would you?"

"You could always tell me to stop."

"No, no, this is good," Marnie shook her head, "Hey, could you show me how to..."

"You do have to know the answers in the first place."

"Oh...y'know, I should probably do it myself...but since I've been up all night, every night, trying to learn something all my friends have never even heard of...I don't really care."

"I won't make a habit of it," Michael smiled, which somewhat wiped the smile from Marnie's face. She still found it impressive that magic was doing her science homework for her. "I did want you to try something for me," Michael said after minute.

He held out his hand and his staff appeared out of no where, "Here," he said, holding it out to Marnie.

"Erm..."

"Take it," he reiterated.

"I..." Marnie frowned, holding out her hand to take the staff from him. Her mind went blank and she looked down at the black staff. It was heavy in her small hands and it felt like it was somehow alive, like she was holding a living, breathing creature.

"Magic is only science, but at the same time it's alive, at least it's always been that way to me."

"...It...feels...like it's got a heartbeat..." Marnie said, her necklace starting to glow.

"I want you to think about this in a different way," he said, "My students mean well...and memorising facts and symbols is a necessary evil, but it takes time. Yours seems to be very instinctive magic, if you learn how it breaths, how it thinks, you can learn the rest after."

"But how is this..." Marnie began, gesturing to the staff.

"It has the knowledge of every spell I've ever used for over eleven hundred years. It has its own form of consciousness. That's the dark secret of alchemy; the secret of life itself."

"But...it doesn't feel...dark...it feels warm..."

"Of course it does, it's been fighting the black magic for centuries. It's the sum of all my work."

"Then...why am I holding it?" Marnie raised an eyebrow.

"It's a test," Michael answered, "To see what it thinks of you."

"...And...how do you know what it thinks?" she asked, "It's not like it can talk...it can't...can it?"

"Not unless you're prepared to listen."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You said it feels warm," he said, "Why do you think that?"

"...I...I dunno, I just...it just...did, I can't explain it..." Marnie murmured.

"You **do** know," Michael told her, leaning forwards in the chair, "Just listen to it."

The staff began to glow, dim at first, but then the gold light got brighter and it exploded out wards in gentle sparks of light like tiny fireflies that quickly faxed away.

"...How did I...what was that?" she breathed.

"That was you passing the test," he said with an unreadable expression.

"So...that's good, right?" Marnie asked when he gave a deep sigh.

"Yes," Michael answered after a minute, "...Yes," he repeated.

Marnie didn't understand why the old wizard looked confused and sad at the same time. She handed the staff back to him and watched as he tightened his knuckles around it.

"...You okay?" Marnie asked him and at the same time, the quill fell lifelessly to the floor and vanished.

"...Fine..." he murmured with a slight cough, "Just fine."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Marnie had a feeling that something wasn't right. She didn't know why, but then, lots of strange things had happened lately that she couldn't explain, so she didn't really try to explain them anymore.

They sat for a while in silence, Marnie not wanting to break it because the wizard seemed to be falling asleep where he sat. Part of her knew that it was very wrong to trust a man she'd only recently met, but her mother had trusted him and Michael had saved Marnie's life, several times. She was beginning to learn that life wasn't always fair, but she still couldn't understand why his power should fade because hers were growing. To her it didn't make any sense whatsoever.

She picked up her homework that was still lying on the floor, put it back into her bag and went into the kitchen to get a drink and something to eat.

When she came back into the living room, Michael was gone.

* * *

Marnie didn't see the old wizard for days after that. Every time she was called to the castle, it was his students she was taught by, but the 'lessons' did to much easier after that. Michael was never there on the nights she was at the castle and one night, she decided to ask where he was.

"We don't know," McTaggart told her, "He won't say."

"...I..."

"His time's running out though, I can feel it," Ailsa remarked sadly.

"Aye," Brno nodded.

"And likely, the Wolf knows it too," Edwin said.

"...Well...can't you do something, I mean..."

"No," Wolfgang answered her quickly, "When we use our magic it wanes his even more, but it's never been a problem before."

"...Then why have we spent like...three weeks, or whatever..."

"Because he wanted us to," Bruno said.

"Now," Ailsa began, "Let's try again, Marnie," she said, holding up her hand.

Marnie held out her hand just as Ailsa sent a very weak spark of magic at her. She managed to catch it in her hand after being pushed backwards by the impact and it crackled and fizzled uneasily.

"I did it!" she smiled.

Her power was progressing to the point where she could transport herself from one place to another, although at the moment she was limited to short distances across the Inner Sanctum, and she could catch and hold magic thrown at her as attacks, but she couldn't make her own.

Even Wolfgang was forced to admit that Marnie's magic was growing at an alarming rate, however, this also meant that Michael's were decking at an alarming rate. He and the others could feel it. They felt tired much more easily and for most of the day, they didn't have as much energy and they generally felt a lot weaker as well. But they knew that their master had to feel much worse than they did, so they never complained.

Michael himself had been acting particularly elusive and no one, not even McTaggart knew where he went when he chose to vanish from the castle. None of them thought it was a smart thing for him to do when he so clearly needed to conserve his strength, but he was, and always had been stubborn.

* * *

While Marnie's lessons continued, Michael walked the streets of Edinburgh and eventually came to the University library where his eyes alighted on the stone bust of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He walked up the steps and across to the statue.

"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, the greatest detective who ever lived," Michael said and the bust suddenly became animate. "Any ideas, Arthur?" he asked.

"As Sherlock Holmes himself said; when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable must be the truth," the statue replied. "The prophecy says; In every generation dawns a most auspicious day, the day when four elevens meet, and the scion has their say. The day to which the fickle sands of time and tide have run. The day when fate and prophecy, reveal the chosen one."

"...The scion," Michael sighed, "My scion...my heir..."

"The wee lassie has a choice," Conan Doyle said, "The growing of her powers doesn't have to mean the final end of your own. Although why such a link exists I've no idea."

"So how is anyone else to know if a mind such as yourself clearly doesn't?" Michael frowned, walking away with a heavy heart. He knew the day of Reckoning was dawning and he knew it didn't look good for him.


	9. Chapter 8

**The White Wolf and the Wizard**

**Chapter 8**

* * *

As a new Saturday morning dawned, the sun rose as it did on any other day, the birds sang just as they did on any other day, but this day was different. This day was dark and shadowed and Michael Scot could sense it. The wizard awoke with the sun, his eyes snapping open the second the sun began to rise. He pushed back the thick curtains on his bed and stood with much effort.

"Master?" McTaggart frowned. He'd been bringing the man his breakfast and was surprised when Michael walked slowly to stand underneath the well, the rising run bringing in steams of light.

"It's here," Michael said solemnly, "The Day of Reckoning has dawned," he murmured.

"...Sir..." McTaggart sighed, moving over to his master.

The air was thick and it seemed to weigh on Michael, he was already weakening and his strong sense of foreboding

"It's out there," the wizard narrowed his eyes, looking up at the sky through the well.

"It...you mean the Wolf...but it can't be..."

"My defences have faded," Michael said, "And I am to follow."

"That want happen, master."

"...I wish I had your confidence," the wizard replied, "...I have to prepare..."

* * *

A short while later, all four students of Michael Scot dressed in their archaic finery and cloaks while McTaggart, in his own clothes of a thousand hears ago, adjusted his master's cloak as the man stood motionless before the full length, ornately framed mirror.

"My staff..." Michael said, staring lifelessly into the mirror as McTaggart retrieved the black staff from where it rested against the wall.

"Maybe you're wrong, maybe today's not the day," the servant said, handing the staff to his master.

Michael said nothing, clutching his hands round his staff, he turned from the mirror and they went up to face their enemy.

* * *

Marie had been sat at her computer emailing Laura. Her friend was still half asleep that morning and they planned on meeting up later in the day, but Marnie jolted back from her desk when she suddenly felt as though something was very wrong. Her lungs suddenly felt as if they were on fire, she felt sharp, stabbing pains, relentless in their attack on her body and she reached out for something to grab onto.

...But then, it all faded away, as though nothing was wrong.

She saw an image flash in her mind of Michael falling to the ground, his staff clattering beside him. He was standing outside, in the courtyard of Tantallon castle.

"Michael?" she called out, "Michael?!" she tried again, receiving only silence.

Marnie had no idea what to do, she was panicking. Then, her eyes fell back into the computer screen and she quickly brought up the website for the old castle and entered the same password she'd done before. She waited hopefully for thirty seconds but nothing happened. She tried again and again with the same results. "No..." she hissed, "Why won't you work?!"

Marnie clutched her necklace as tightly as she could. She knew she had to get to the castle and she had to get to Michael fast. She imagined herself vanishing like she'd seen Michael do before and just as she was beginning to disappear, her father came into the room carrying a plate of toast for her, he watched with wide eyes he jumped out and tried to touch her shoulder, but he ended up being transported with her.

It felt as though she were being pulled in all directions but when she opened her eyes, Marnie was standing outside the crumbling castle. She saw the Wolf overpowering Michael and his students, but before she could do anything she heard her father's voice.

"Marnie!" he yelled.

"Dad!" she turned back, "Why are you..."

"Marnie, move!" Ailsa cried and Marnie ran to her father, leading him to hide behind the stone walls.

"Marnie, what's going on?!" Ross asked her, frantically.

"I'll explain later, dad," she panted, "Just stay here, I have to help!"

"No, Marnie..." the man shouted as she ran away, "Come back!"

There was lighting and crackling energy being thrown in every direction but the main fight seemed to be between Michael and the Wolf. Every time an attack hit him, his students winced at the same time, and it was clear that he was loosing.

Michael suddenly fell to his knees and a second later, so did his students and so did McTaggart, their forms fading. His power was also spent and he couldn't keep all five of them alive as well as use his magic to fight. The Wolf seemed to sneer at the wizard and it started to move towards him.

Marnie ran as fast as she could and picked up Michael's staff as the animal picked up speed and pounced, she swung it, almost like a bat and knocked the animal off its feet. The Wolf was thrown back through sheer force.

It quickly recovered and growled loudly, charging towards them again. Marnie this time aimed the staff, as she had seen the wizard do, straight at the Wolf. Her necklace shone brightly and the staff let loose an extremely strong blast of lightning.

The Wolf let out a spell of its own and it met Marnie's attack, clashing violently with a loud crackling sound. It gripped its claws into the ground as it was pushed back but it them started to force her back, their two attacks fighting for dominance.

But Marnie, though determined, wasn't as skilled as the Wolf yet, and the two clashing forces narrowed in on her, getting so close to touch her hands, making her cry out.

Michael, seeing this struggle, raised his right hand, casting out what power he could muster and it joined Marnie's attack on the animal. His students followed his lead and did the same.

Their power struggle continued, but with its boost, the white magic was stronger and it was able to finally overpower the black magic. It hit the animal with a loud crackling noise and the Wolf let out an ear-screeching cry just before it shattered like broken glass.

Marnie breathed a sigh of relief and leaned all her weight on the staff she was holding. She felt tired and drained and her limbs felt like they'd been stretched to their limits on a rack.

Michael, with one arm slung across McTaggart's shoulders, was standing up, meeting Marnie's gaze. She walked over to him slowly, and held out his staff for him to take back.

"You could keep it," the wizard raised an eyebrow, "It has the power of a thousand years...there's nothing stopping you."

"Yeah, there is," she smiled, taking the man's hand and placing the staff on his palm. He clutched his fingers around the old staff and he felt his powers return full force, flooding his body with energy. "I'm not a thief," Marnie said to him.

"...Thank you," Michael retuned her smile.

"So...that's it? It's really gone?" Marnie asked.

"It's really gone," he nodded.

"What'll you do now?"

For this, Michael had no answer. He looked back at his students, who were regarding him with serene smiles and McTaggart stood aside to let his master stand on his own again.

The wizard raised his staff and brought it back down with thundering force, shaking the cliff face and sending tremors through the stone of his castle as the air around him shone gold. "...I can breathe again," he beamed, and slowly, turned to his ever faithful friend and servant, "I offered you your freedom once, McTaggart, before all this began..."

"I've served you this long, sir, I'll be damned if I'm gonna stop now," the man replied with a smile.

"And you?" Michael asked his four students.

The four of them seemed to confer for a brief second with only their eyes and expressions, then they turned back to their master.

"Well...with all due deference and respect, master," Edwin began "Taking everything into consideration, we..."

"We're not gong anywhere," Bruno spoke over his friend.

"No, we're not," Edwin smiled.

"...As you wish," Michael replied.

"...Erm...Marnie...what just..." Ross McBride spoke eventually, ruining the moment. He'd walked with uncertain steps, across to the group standing not far away and he'd come to a stop behind them.

"Oh, no..." Marnie breathed her head snapping across to see her father, "Dad...I totally forgot...it was an accident, I swear, Michael, I didn't mean to..."

"You think I've never seen a magical accident in my time?" the wizard chuckled, smiling down at her, "I think you've some explaining to do...Unless you want him to forget..." he added quietly.

"No...I'll tell him...erm...if that's okay...I mean..."

"Go on, explain away," the wizard prompted indulgently.

"...Wait a minute..." Ross blinked, looking at Michael, "I know you...yes...you were at that Antique shop..."

"Yeah, dad, and a whole lot of other places too," Marnie laughed.

"I..."

"You're never gonna believe all this, trust me...maybe you should sit down," she suggested.

Michael clicked his fingers without warning and the eight of them were instantly transported into his Inner Sanctum. "Be my guest," Michael smiled, waving a hand to light the fire.

Marnie sighed at this further use of blatant magic before she'd even had a chance to explain anything to her father. "Show off," she muttered to him and he shrugged almost innocently.

"How did we...wasn't I just..."

"Yeah...erm..." Marnie frowned. "Come on, dad, sit down," she said, leading her father to sit in one of the chairs.

Michael stood a short distance away leaning on his staff with McTaggart at his side, while his students made themselves comfortable, sitting on the desks and tables.

"Well...dad...it's erm...it's like this..." the young girl began again.

"Did I...did I miss something?" her father furrowed his brow looking over at Michael and the others, "It's a bit late for Halloween," he said, taking in their clothes.

"Well...erm...that's Michael Scot..." Marnie said, her expression nervous.

Her father stared at her in confusion and looked across at the wizard leaning on his staff across the room. "Marnie..."

"I forget the long introduction...something about the Romans...and mountains...and something else..." she said quickly, ignoring the chortles from Michael's students at her summary.

"...Marnie, listen to me," Ross shook his head.

"No, dad, I'm not crazy, I mean, I really thought I was..."

"I don't see what you find funny about this," the man spoke over his daughter when he saw Michael's students chuckling. "Who are you people, anyway?!"

"Edwin de Wynter, at your service, sir," Edwin gave a brief bow, "And these are my compatriots, Ailsa, Bruno and Wolfgang."

"...And...what are you?"

"We're alchemists, of course," Edwin answered indignantly.

"...Of course..." Ross scoffed, "That's alright, then, I thought for a moment that you were wizards!"

"Dad..." Marnie sighed.

"And you..." he frowned, "What was that out there?! Did I really see a wolf, or what?"

"...Erm...yes," she shrugged, "You did...but it's gone now...so everything's cool...I think."

"That's hardly the best explanation, Marnie," Ailsa hid her smile behind her hand.

"Well, what am I supposed to say?!" Marnie yelled, spinning around, "Oh 'hey dad, guess what I've been doing? I've been learning magic to help an old wizard guy and his students get rid of this crazy wolf that steals people's powers, and I'..." she stopped, frowning, "Whoops..." Marnie breathed, slowly turning back to face her father. "Erm...but...that's the truth, anyway..."

"Old wizard guy?" Michael repeated, raising an eyebrow, and McTaggart shrugged.

"...How about we just go home?" Marnie asked her father, cautiously.

"How?" Ross asked her.

"Why don't you let me," Michael said to Marnie, "Use that door," he added, gesturing to the closest old door.

"Come on, dad," Marnie took her father' arm and lead him to the door. With a last backward glance, she opened it, and it clicked shut a second later.

"...Well that could've gone worse," Bruno said, breaking the tension.


	10. Epilogue

**The White Wolf and the Wizard**

**Epilogue**

* * *

It took Marnie many times and a lot of courage to explain things fully and properly to her father. Ross McBride was confused to say the least to find out that his daughter had magic and it took a good solid week for him to begin to wrap his mind around it.

But he couldn't deny what he'd seen. He couldn't deny that his daughter had used this magic to teleport from her room to Tanatallon castle. He couldn't deny that he'd seen her fight with others against a wolf, which apparently had been an embodiment of black magic. For some reason though, all of that was easier to swallow than believing that people could live for a thousand years; people like the famous alchemist Michael Scot.

When Marnie showed him, what she called, 'small tricks', his face paled but after a while he began to appreciate how extraordinary it was and how special his daughter was. But no matter how much he adapted to the idea, Ross couldn't yet bring himself to call his in laws and tell them; they'd never believe him at any rate. He'd leave that for Marnie to tell them if she wanted to.

* * *

For Marnie, the first school holidays came as a much welcome blessing. Now, she not only had time to relax from always watching over her shoulder for a power crazy wolf, she could now relax from having school work as well. One of the first things she did was to have a sleepover with her friend Laura, which actually ended up lasting for three nights instead of one.

She spent much of her time with both Laura and Dougie, walking through the town and , much to her surprise, she found that she soon began to feel very much at home in Edinburgh. There was a lot of things and people here that she liked and though she missed her grandparents, Marnie was glad that she was growing to like Scotland. She and her father had talked about how long she was going to live with him for, and they agreed that after two weeks of the holidays she'd go back to Denver and then return for the start of the school term.

On the day before she was due to fly out to America, Marnie, using the password on the website, got herself to Tantallon castle but when she got here she saw that the Inner Sanctum was completely deserted so she searched through the collections of old books. She picked up the first one which was written in modern English that she could actually read. Then, she piled several blankets and cushions before the fireplace and sat on the hearth with the book on her lap.

On instinct she first looked for matches to light the fire, but when she found none, Marnie remembered that she'd never nice seen anyone use matches to light it. Michael had always used magic. So, Marnie imagined that the fire was burning in the grate, and a second later, it really was burning in the grate.

With a satisfied and, somewhat prideful smile, Marnie turned the first page in the book and tried very hard to make sense of what she saw written there. Suffice to say it wasn't easy.

* * *

By the time Michael returned, Marnie had fallen asleep by the fire, she was lying on her side, the book open at the middle, and the fire crackling in the grate. He set aside his staff, resting it next to his chair, he carried Marnie over to his bed and let her rest there, closing the thick, red curtains against the rest of the world.

Michael walked back over to the fire, picked up the book and sat down in his chair to read it.

* * *

When Marnie awoke a while later and found herself lying in a very comfortable bed she was confused to say the least when she remembered that she'd fallen sleep on the floor by the fire. She sat up and pushed back the thick curtains to see Michael sitting by the fire.

"Hey..." she smiled, standing up and walking across to the fire, "How long you been back?"

"Not long," Michael replied as Marnie sat down opposite him.

"You should've woke me up," she said, "Where is everyone?" she asked.

"All over the place, they do have their own students, you know, scattered across the world," Michael raised an eyebrow, "God help them."

"They're not bad teachers," Marnie replied.

"I suppose not."

"You miss 'em, don't you?" she grinned.

"Don't be absurd," Michael frowned, turning a page in his book.

"Uh-huh," the young girl hummed, "...Forget how big this place is with them gone. Where's McTaggart, then?"

"Up there," he answered, looking up towards the well.

"What?"

"Giving another of those tours," Michael explained.

"Really?" Marnie smiled, trying not to laugh.

"Hmmm," he nodded, just as an echoing clatter sounded down the well.

"What was that?" she said, turning around and walking over to see what had fallen down. "This is a penny...why did someone just drop a penny down here?"

"...McTaggart," Michael ground out.

"...He drops pennies down here?"

"Mmm," he nodded, "Frequently...thinks it's funny."

"So do I," Marnie chuckled, putting the penny onto a table, "...Has one ever landed on your head?" she asked, but Michael didn't answer. "It has hasn't it?" she smirked.

Again, the wizard was silent and Marnie chose not to pursue the subject even though she found it very amusing. Instead, she sat down again and looked into the flames. "So...did Ailsa and the guys ever get the electrics working down here?"

"No," Michael answered.

"Oh...shame."

"Yes, heaven forbid we live without electricity," he scoffed.

"Anyway," she laughed, "I'm leaving tomorrow and I was trying to say, if you won't even use a phone...well, I guess I could just always McTaggart, but still, you really should..."

"I am Michael Scot and I do not 'text'," Michael said in his best no-nonses tone.

"Okay, okay," Marnie sighed in defeat, "...But if you hate technology so much, what's with the magic password thing on the website?"

"A necessary evil," he answered much to the young girl's amusement.

Neither of them said anything else for a while, until Marnie glanced at her watch and saw just how long she'd been at the castle for.

"I should go," she said, "I sill have to pack."

"Across the Great Ocean, then," Michael remarked.

"Yeah, it'll be good to see my grandparents again...you know I'll be coming back though, right?"

"Hmm," the wizard simply nodded, "Now go on, get off with you," he murmured, gesturing towards the door.

Marnie rolled her eyes and stood up, "See you in a few weeks," she smiled before closing the door behind her, leaving Michael to see remember just how big and lonely the Inner Sanctum was when he was alone.


End file.
